Thursday promises a packed racing schedule, featuring flat meetings at Lingfield, Southwell and Yarmouth, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. The action kicks off with the penultimate race at Yarmouth – the Sky Sports Virgin 519 Fillies' Handicap over seven furlongs – where eight contenders will vie for the win. Leading the field is Zighy, a three‑year‑old filly who finally broke her maiden on her fifth start.
After that initial triumph, she added a second all‑weather victory just fifteen days later at Southwell, showcasing her ability on synthetic surfaces. Purchased as a yearling for 400,000 guineas (approximately £42,000), Zighy now returns to turf under the guidance of Billy Loughnane, who will be hoping the filly can secure a coveted hat‑trick.
Also in the lineup is You’ll Think Of Me, a promising youngster owned by David Egan. The filly debuted in December at a modest price of 500,000 guineas (£52,000) and immediately proved her class by winning on debut. Previously trained by Donnacha O’Brien, she never finished better than second in four starts for that stable. After a 150‑day spell away from the track, she returns to the turf for her first run of the season, aiming to extend her unbeaten record for trainer Kevin Philippart‑De Foy.
Moonshine, partnered with Ed Walker and James Doyle, brings a solid record of never finishing outside the top three in her four career starts. The daughter of the sprinter Starman logged a career‑best performance last month when she finally broke her duck, and today she steps back up to the seven‑furlong distance at Yarmouth. Other fillies to watch include Brisky Symphony, campaigned by Jonathan Portman, and Here I Bow, ridden by Oli Rix.
Both have shown promise in recent outings and could be in contention for a place. Turning to Lingfield, the penultimate race there features a ten‑horse field contesting the Sky Sports Racing Virgin 512 Handicap, also over seven furlongs. John Butler aboard Havana Touch joins forces with Luke Morris for this entry.
Havana Touch recorded his best performance of the year with a third win at Kempton earlier this month and now drops back to the seven‑furlong trip for the first time since his May victory at the same venue. Bella Bisbee, a recent winner for trainers Scott Dixon and Kieran O’Neill, is another strong contender. She captured a win over the same course and distance just sixteen days ago and will be looking to add a fourth career victory at this distance. Craig Benton's Bold Suitor, who was a length second to Bella Bisbee in their last meeting, carries three pounds less today, giving him a weight advantage on his return to Lingfield.
The Lingfield field also includes Jim Boyle’s Daisy Roots, Spirit Lead Me under Richard Hughes, and Virtue Patience, who will be wearing cheekpieces for the first time. These horses round out a competitive lineup of ten. At Southwell, eight runners will contest the Free Race Replays On attheraces.com Handicap over six furlongs.
Among them, Roberto Caro, ridden by Adrian Keatley, seeks his first win since a narrow neck victory in the Racing League at Chepstow in August. The five‑year‑old showed resilience then, but success has eluded him since. Station X, a consistent performer with four consecutive placed finishes, will also feature. One of those placings came at Southwell where Station X beat Roberto Caro by nearly two lengths over the same distance and course.
However, Roberto Caro enjoys a two‑pound weight advantage in today’s race. Stanley Spencer, partnered with James Tate, is another horse to note.
After a series of encouraging runs since his last win in September, Spencer aims for a fifth career victory, with Clifford Lee slated as a notable jockey booking. Additional entries at Southwell include Alondra for Scott Dixon and Tough Enough for Antony Brittain, both of whom could prove to be surprise factors in the eight‑horse field. Beyond the individual races, Sky Sports Racing continues to deliver the latest horse racing news, interviews, and feature stories across its platforms, ensuring fans stay up‑to‑date with every development. The day's schedule also highlights several other fixtures: a 2:20 pm meeting at Lingfield featuring well‑backed contenders in the Brocklesby and Seathegulls races for Gary and Josh Moore; a 2:40 pm race at Yarmouth showcasing high‑priced novices Night Shining and Venetian Sky; a 3:03 pm French meeting at Longchamp with entries in the Prix du Jockey Club, including Shalazi for the Aga Khan; a 3:15 pm Maiden at Yarmouth featuring Adamlyi, Alpine Culture and Fahidi; a 3:38 pm Maiden at Longchamp with Regal Chime, Place de l’Opera (targeting the French 1,000 Guineas) and Soda Zabeel (aimed at the Prix de Diane); a 5:30 pm race at Yarmouth where Armstrong, a half‑brother to the US performer Excellent Truth, seeks his maiden win; and finally a 5:52 pm contest at Southwell with Arranmore and Roman Secret both looking for successive victories.
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